See for yourself that Rylen Komeiji works at one of the Las Vegas Strip’s coolest bars … that is, if you can find it. He bartends at Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den at Resorts World Las Vegas—an intimate hidden gem with speakeasy vibes.
Komeiji, a native of Hawaii, has bartended for all types of establishments in his home state, from fine-dining restaurants and resorts to nightclubs and one of the most-revered bars in Hawaii, Bar Leather Apron. His career spans 14 years, but what is now a passion started out as just a job to help him financially get through college, where he was pre-med. “People are usually happy to see a bartender, not so much a doctor,” Komeiji says. “The more I bartended, the more I fell in love with the industry.”
After spending many years bartending in Hawaii, he decided to bring his talents to Las Vegas and got hired at The Dorsey at The Venetian, where he worked alongside venerable bartender Juyoung Kang. After a couple of years working under Kang’s tutelage, Komeiji ended up following her over to Resorts World, where she was brought aboard to design Here Kitty Kitty’s cocktail program.
“Our cocktails are very unique,” says Komeiji. “And since it’s an exclusive speakeasy, we wanted the cocktails to be exclusive, too.” Here Kitty Kitty bartenders are well versed in craft cocktails, the type of cocktails Komeiji loves making. “I realized once I started doing craft cocktails, I fell more in love with cocktails,” he says. Komeiji has even earned serious bragging rights as the winner of several different craft cocktail competitions.
Not only does Komeiji bring a vast breadth of cocktail knowledge to the job, but he brings a distinctive personality trait, too. “Being born and raised in Hawaii, that ‘aloha spirit’ is instilled in you from a young age,” he says. “It’s that give-a-stranger-the-shirt-off-your-back mentality. Everyone is family.”
Libation: Kiku
In celebration of the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Tiger, Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den introduces new cocktails like the Kiku. The chrysanthemum syrup used in the cocktail represents the chrysanthemum flower’s meaning in Asian culture: rebirth and renewal, perfect for the new year. Along with the syrup, the cocktail calls for Absolut Elyx vodka, Malibu rum, lemon juice, white grapefruit juice and a pinch of Hawaiian salt.
Benefit: To find HKKVD, head to Famous Foods Street Eats and look for Ms. Meow’s Mamak Stall and the waving cats.
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